


Tryst

by KARMA (MeSuBe84)



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-21 15:40:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 17,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9555437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeSuBe84/pseuds/KARMA
Summary: I wrote this story just for fun and to do something a little different. The character Frankie is made up and obviously not part of the show. I thought it'd be interesting to give Daryl a love interest that was a little more like him. This new character may take the place of other characters in certain scenarios. This story is not canon and may not always follow the original storyline. Like I said, I just wanted something different. Thank you for reading.





	1. Chapter 1

2 years before….

Frankie lay inside the storm drain floating in and out of consciousness. Every twig that cracked put her on alert for walkers nearby. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been there…five days maybe. She had no water and couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten. Her stomach rumbled at the thought of food. It was enough to drive her crazy except for the immense pain coming from her left ankle. When she and Chase had been running to escape a herd of walkers, her foot caught on a rock hidden under some debris. She felt the twist and something pop. She had cried out in pain and tried to get up only to find that there was no way that she could put any weight on it. Chase ran back and helped her into a nearby storm drain, the only cover they could find. Chase had pulled branches, bushes and whatever else he could find to block the entrance of the drain. There they sat as they waited out the passing herd, every minute that passed seemed like forever as they tried to stay quiet, Frankie crying silent tears of pain. She had fallen asleep after a few hours and when she woke at dawn the next morning, Chase was gone.   
She assumed that he had gone out to look for food or to make sure the herd had passed but when she looked down, scrawled in the dirt was a message that said “I’m sorry”. Her heart dropped into her stomach and her mouth went dry. He couldn’t have left her, not like this. “Chase?!” she called out, trying to hold back tears. “Chase, are you out there?!” She heard nothing but the birds. She crawled to the entrance of the drain and pushed aside the brush and branches. “Chase!” she called again…no sound. She heard the heavy breathing and wheezing of a walker nearby so she crawled back in, replacing the brush to hide her. She sat motionless as the walker stopped in front of the drain and looked around, sniffing the air. Frankie held her breath and gripped her scimitar next to her. The small sword made a scraping noise against the concrete drain and that was enough for the walker to scramble through the brush into the drain. Frankie tried to push herself up to a crouching position but cried out as the pain in her ankle hindered her from doing so. She fell to her knees as the walker rushed her, knocking her on her back. She barely had time to stab it through its head before it bit her throat. Now covered in blood, she pushed the walker aside and crawled to the entrance to fix the brush. She leaned back to catch her breath and the tears came in hard, short sobs. She was alone now. She had no food, no water and no friends…no boyfriend for that matter. She couldn’t believe that he would leave her, especially in her current state. He didn’t even leave her the rest of the water. As she went over it in her mind, she found that she really wasn’t that surprised. He had always been a selfish bastard and when it came down to it, she was going to slow him down. So he made a decision. Well now it was her turn to decide…decide whether to live or die. She wanted to live but for the life of her, she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She couldn’t walk and she had no supplies other than what was in her back pack. She didn’t even know where she was. The tears came again, in waves this time and she cried until she was so exhausted that she couldn’t keep her eyes open. No food or water was taking its toll on her body. As she gave in to exhaustion, she did something that she hadn’t done in a very long time….she prayed, prayed for someone, anyone to find her.


	2. Chapter 2

Days passed, consciousness came and went. Frankie could no longer tell reality from her hallucinations. She fought off walkers, whether they were real or not she didn’t know. She had just about given in to the fact that she was going to die in that storm drain. She thought back to how her life used to be, all the things she had, people she knew…all gone. She never saw her family again after she left for her last transfer, never said goodbye. When the world went to shit, she had tried to call continually until the phones were no longer working. Every day she wondered if her family had gotten help. Did they run? Are they on the road like she is? Maybe held up in a camp somewhere or did they make their peace and succumb to the horrors that this world now offered? When she thought of her mother’s strength and her sister’s will to never quit, she thought maybe there was hope for them. Her heart broke when she thought of her niece and nephew and how much they had to offer this world. Her mind drifted to the other members of her family that she hadn’t spoken to in years. Did anyone make it? She laughed to herself when she thought of the conversations she’d had with her brother back in the day. They’d jokingly make plans for what they would do if there was ever an apocalypse; hide in a large warehouse store, build shelter in the trees. Looking back, the irony made her laugh. There was no store to seek shelter in and as for building shelter in the trees, well who had time for that? A storm drain would be her home and her grave….

Daryl and Rick walked through the woods in search of food. Crossbow always at the ready, Daryl had managed to kill a few squirrels but nothing much bigger. Frustrated and tired, they decided to call it a day and head home. “Guess we ain’t gettin’ much else.” Daryl said. “Don’t think these squirrels are gonna cut it.” Rick sighed before continuing on, “Better than nothing. We’ll try again tomorrow.” As they pressed on, Daryl stopped short and held up his hand. He put his finger to his lips and signaled to Rick to stay quiet. Their eyes darted around, “You hear that?” Daryl asked as he strained to hear. Rick shook his head. “It’s coming from over there.” Daryl pointed ahead and stepped forward towards the noise, his finger on the trigger of his crossbow. He couldn’t make out what it was. It sounded like metal scraping and soft moaning. Daryl whispered, “Storm drain…there’s something in there.” Rick readied his pistol as Daryl prepared to move the brush. Daryl counted to three on his fingers then quickly threw the brush aside. Rick slowly lowered his gun as they took in what looked to be a woman in really poor condition. She couldn’t have been very old, early thirties maybe and she was covered in blood and dirt. Her left shoe was off and her ankle was severely swollen and bruised. The woman appeared to be hallucinating as she pathetically attempted to lift her sword in their direction. Her voice came out as nothing more than a soft whimper. Rick stepped forward but Daryl pulled back on his arm. “What are you doin’?” Rick looked confused, “She’s injured.” Daryl shook his head, “She could be bit. We don’t know who she is. She could have people nearby.” Rick stared at the woman and then back to Daryl “If she has people, they sure aren’t too worried about her. We can’t just leave her here.” Daryl scoffed, “The hell we can’t. We ain’t takin’ anybody in remember?” Rick reached down and took the small sword out of the woman’s hand. She mewed in protest but put up no fight. Rick brushed the hair out of her face. She was dirty but young and pretty. He had made up his mind. It usually got the best of him. He looked back at Daryl, “We take her back with us, clean her up, find out who she is and if she’s a threat. Once she’s well enough, we send her on her way.” Daryl shook his head in disgust. “You runnin’ a charity now?” Rick ignored the retort. “Help me get her out. I’ll carry her.” Daryl sighed as he helped Rick lift the woman out of the drain. She couldn’t have weighed more than a buck thirty but she was dead weight. “Let’s go” Daryl said looking at the sky, “We’re wasting daylight.”


	3. Chapter 3

Frankie opened her eyes and hissed at the pain radiating from her ankle as she tried to move. She stared at the pipes and lights above her. She was no longer in the storm drain. How did she get here? She vaguely recalled men’s voices when she was in the drain, small flashbacks of feeling herself floating through the woods. Someone must have carried her. She tried to sit up to take in her surroundings but her head was pounding and she was incredibly weak. She pressed the palm of her hand to her eye and groaned. “Try not to move so fast. You need to take it easy.” Frankie jumped at the unfamiliar voice. Standing about five feet away was an older white haired man. He was leaning on a crutch and staring at her with kind, soft eyes. Frankie looked around and realized that she was inside of a cell. She became scared as her pulse quickened. Suddenly she realized that she could be in danger. Frankie scooted as far back as possible until her back hit the bars on the other side of the six by eight cell. The man hopped closed to the cell door. “I’m not going to hurt you. You’re safe here. You were in really bad shape when they brought you in. You’re lucky to be alive.” Frankie didn’t meet his eyes as he spoke. She tried to find her voice but found that it came out hoarse and scratchy. She cleared her throat and tried again. “How long have I been here?” He looked at her sympathetically, “you’ve been here for five days, in and out of consciousness. You had a fever that we finally got down but that ankle is in pretty bad shape. Luckily it’s not broken. Just badly sprained but you may have torn a ligament.” That explained the pop she heard when she tripped over that rock. “When is the last time you ate?” The man asked. “From the looks of you, it’s been awhile.” Frankie shrugged, “I don’t remember. Do you have water?” The man hesitated for a moment before hopping away. He returned shortly with a bottle of water which he handed her through the bars. Frankie ripped the top open and gulped the water down as quickly as she could. It tasted amazing and she gasped for breath after she downed the water in one gulp. “Thank you” she said to the man as she looked around confused. “Is this a prison?” The man nodded. “This was the best shelter we’ve found so far. We haven’t been here very long but its home for now.” Frankie scooted closer “Will you let me out please?” The man looked apologetic. “That isn’t up to me. I’m sorry.” Frankie’s fear began to rise again, “Who is it up to? I won’t cause trouble I promise. Maybe I can talk to the leader of your group? What’s their name?” 

“You ain’t in no position to be askin’ questions!” a man’s voice boomed from the other side of the room. Frankie’s head snapped in his direction and she stared wide eyed at the tall man that was angrily stalking towards her. He was tall with broad shoulders and short cropped hair. He was well built and handsome but looked like a redneck. He had what seemed to be a permanent scowl on his face. He aimed a crossbow at her, “Who are you?!” he snapped. “We were just getting to that” the old man said, “perhaps if you let me talk to her…” The tall man produced a set of keys from his pocket, “Nah, I got this.” He opened the cell door and swung it open as he stepped inside. He kept the crossbow trained on her. “I asked you a question! I suggest you answer unless you want an arrow in your other ankle!” Frankie scooted back and held up her hands. His eyes seethed as he glared at her over his crossbow. “Please” Frankie pleaded, “Don’t hurt me. I’m no threat to you, I swear!” The man lowered his crossbow towards her ankle, “Last chance!” Frankie glanced around frantically and finally realized that she was unarmed. Her eyes stopped on her back pack that was near the cell door. The man followed her gaze and before Frankie could lunge for her bag, he snatched it up and slammed the door closed. “Maybe there’s some answers in here.” He said as he flung her bag on a table. “No!” Frankie begged, “Please! That’s mine! I have nothing that you want!” Her eyes filled with tears as he disrespectfully dumped the contents of her bag on the table. The man rifled through her things and tossed aside items that he didn’t deem important but meant the world to her. The man came across a can of OC spray, a small hunting knife with compass and a 9mm. He turned and pointed the gun in her direction. “Not a threat huh?” he scoffed as he set the gun on the table. Frankie fought back tears as her anger rose. “It’s not even loaded you asshole!” The man turned quickly and kicked the cell door, causing her to fall back. Frankie winced and grabbed her ankle. “Screw you!” She screamed, “I’m a pretty big threat when I can’t walk!” The man scoffed, “Says you, hell this could all be some trick just to get in here and see what we got. Your people could be waiting just outside our gates. You were probably in that storm drain on purpose.” Frankie looked at him like he had three heads and then rolled her eyes, “That’s a bit ambitious don’t you think? I’m going to purposely injure and starve myself just to end up inside this crap cell? You’re a special kind of stupid aren’t you?” He clenched his jaw and slowly aimed his crossbow at her again, “Don’t seem so farfetched to me.” Before she could respond, the outside door opened and in walked a scruffy looking man with an authoritative gate. He wore a holster around his slender hips which held a Colt Python .357 Magnum. He looked exhausted and his curly black hair was slicked back with sweat. “What’s going on?” he asked as he approached. He eyed her cautiously. His voice sounded familiar and she realized this must be the man that carried her. He was definitely the leader by the way he carried himself and by the way the others responded to him. The tall man motioned to her with his head, “Tryin’ to get some answers. She ain’t talkin’.” He handed the leader a leather wallet from the bag. The man in charge opened the wallet and took out a driver’s license. “Francesca Marie Cruz, born March 17, 1984 from Tucson Arizona.” He tossed the wallet back into the bag and crouched down to her eye level. He had piercing blue eyes that held both thoughtfulness and intimidation. This man could be your best friend or your worst enemy. He stared at her for a moment before he spoke, “That wasn’t so hard was it? My name is Rick Grimes. I lead this group. You’ve already met Daryl.” He said, motioning to the tall man. Frankie glared at Daryl who was returning the look tenfold. Rick spoke again and pointed to the old man, “This here is Hershel. He’s our healer. He’s the one that’s been watching over you. He’s a well-respected man in our group.” Frankie nodded her head in Hershel’s direction, “Thank you for your help. You’ve been very kind.” Hershel inclined his head to her and spoke directly to Rick, “She needs rest and something to eat. Perhaps this interrogation can wait until tomorrow when she has her strength up.” Rick cocked his head at Hershel before standing up and pulling him aside along with Daryl. “We don’t know who she is yet” Rick said, “we need answers.” Hershel nodded, “I understand but you’re not going to get those answers by bullying her. She’s done nothing wrong as far as we know. She could be innocent.” Hershel glanced at Daryl as he said this. Daryl snorted and shook his head, “Ain’t nobody innocent nowadays. We had an agreement that we weren’t taking people in and now suddenly we’re offering medical care? Food?” he sucked his teeth, “there ain’t enough to go around. I say we dump her, save ourselves the trouble.” Hershel shook his head, “We don’t treat people this way, especially women. It’s not who we are.” Frankie, now extremely annoyed, cleared her throat. “You know I can hear you, I’m still right here” she waved her hand at them. Daryl turned towards her and went to open the gate, “Well let’s see what we can do about that!” Rick intervened, “enough” he said, “Hershel is right.” Frankie breathed a sigh of relief to herself. Rick turned to her, “We’re going to finish this conversation one way or another, whether you like it or not, we’re gonna get some answers out of you. Take tonight to rest up. If we decide you’re not a threat, once you’re well enough to walk, you’ll be on your way but we will get our answers.” He motioned to Daryl who gripped his crossbow, “one way or another. Is that clear?” Frankie stared at him and when she didn’t answer, he squatted down to face her, “I don’t like asking twice.” Frankie nodded her head, “I understand.” Rick rose back up, “Good. Get some rest. You’re gonna need it.”


	4. Chapter 4

Frankie woke the next morning to find herself feeling a little stronger. Her ankle still hurt like hell but she felt more alert. The night before, she was given some type of gruel to eat. It wasn’t a porter house but it was better than nothing. A sweet young blonde girl had given her the food. She introduced herself as Beth and said that she was the youngest daughter of Hershel. Multiple people came and went through the corridor. They eyed her curiously like a caged animal but only Beth had been brave enough to approach her. She had also been kind enough to slip Frankie her back pack through the bars of the cell. Frankie sat on the cold prison floor and rifled through her bag until she came across some pictures, older photographs that she had of her family; her mother, sister, nieces and nephews…it was all she had left of them. Tears filled her eyed as she reminisced about time spent with them. How she wished she could see them and know that they’re okay. Before she could start crying, the door to the cell block opened. Daryl came in and sat on the table facing her. She discreetly wiped her tears and glared at him. He was holding two dead rabbits in one hand and a large hunting knife in the other. He began to gut and clean the rabbits in front of her, occasionally looking up to gauge her reaction. She had a good poker face but inside, her stomach was turning. Chase had always been the one to catch and clean their food. She had refused to cut open an animal, which probably would’ve contributed to her death had Rick and Daryl not found her. Daryl looked straight at her as he put the rabbit’s raw heart in his mouth and ate it, licking the blood from his fingers. Frankie forced down the bile that rose in her throat and forced herself to raise a cocky eyebrow at him. He leaned forward, eyeballing her. She probably should’ve been intimidated but she wasn’t. She actually found him rather amusing when he tried to be tough. She had no doubt in her mind that this man could harm her if he really wanted to and he was definitely a survivor. His body proved he was strong but he was obviously just trying to prove a point with her, mark his territory. She felt brave in that moment, “Why don’t you just piss all around the prison and mark it as yours, since you’re so afraid of someone taking it from you.” He just needed an excuse. Daryl hopped off the table and quickly opened the cell door. Before Frankie could blink, he was in her face. She tried to move but he had her pinned against the bars and since she was sitting, there was nowhere to go. His hands gripped the bars on either side of her. “You think you’re real smart don’t ya?” he hissed, “I got you all figured out.” Frankie raised her chin and met his gaze, “You couldn’t figure out your ass from your elbow you dumb hick. Now get the hell off of me.” She could see his jaw clench as the anger and loathing oozed out of him. He leaned closer, “What are you gonna do about it if I don’t?” She was livid now. If there was one thing she didn’t stand for, it was abusive men. She’d had enough of that throughout her life. She didn’t care who he was or that he helped save her life. She’d had enough…she spit in his face. “Bitch!” he growled as he reached down, grabbed her wounded ankle and squeezed. Frankie cried out in pain and instinctively punched him in the mouth, knocking him off balance and onto his ass. She held her breath and braced herself for an assault. Daryl wiped the blood that trickled from his lip and stared at it for a second before slowly standing up. Frankie pulled herself up to stand on her feet, balancing on her good foot and squared her shoulders. He stared at her, for the first time really taking her in. He took a step forward. “Go ahead” she said, “Hit me back. Prove that that’s the only way you can be a man. Trust me; I can take whatever you have to give.” She saw something flicker in his eyes when she said that. It caused him to break eye contact and look at the floor. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he looked ashamed. “Daryl?” The silence was broken by an older women standing behind him. Daryl quickly turned. “What’s going on? What happened to your lip?” the woman asked. Daryl shook his head, “Nothin’.” He pushed past her and closed the cell door. He glanced at Frankie one last time before grabbing his gutted rabbits from the table and walking away.   
The woman watched him go and then turned to Frankie. She had kind blue eyes and short gray hair cropped close to her head. She handed Frankie a bottle of water and two pills. “Hershel said to take these. They help with the pain but you need to stay off of that ankle and keep it elevated if you ever want the swelling to go down.” Frankie guided herself slowly to the floor, “I like to be on my feet when someone is trying to intimidate me.” The woman gave her a small smile. “Daryl isn’t so bad once you get to know him. He can have a sweet side. Most men are actually quite sensitive on the inside.” Frankie scoffed at the description of the man who just assaulted her. “Yeah right lady, I’ll let you tell that story.” The woman shrugged. “Just give it time. He’ll come around. He just needs to know you’re one of us.” Frankie furrowed her brow in confusion. “Am I one of you?” The woman smiled, “I think so. Only time will tell. I’m Carol by the way.” Frankie returned the smile. “It’s nice to meet you Carol.” 

Frankie thought she would die of boredom before the world completely ended. She was going to go crazy if she remained in the cell any longer. She got into the habit of watching the people from the group and memorizing their habits. There were at least two that stayed out all night keeping watch in the towers outside, while everyone else slept. In the early hours of the morning, they would switch with two others and so on. Everyone had a job and it seemed there was always something to do. Hershel took good care of everyone and not only acted as a doctor but as a confidant and loving father as well. Everyone seemed to admire and respect him…even Daryl. He had made Frankie a crutch of her own so that she could move around the cell easier. She’d pass the hours by hopping from one end of the cell to the other, playing solitaire with a pack of cards that Beth had slipped to her or by doing sit ups. She figured exercise was the best way to keep her mind busy, even if she could only do a few simple exercises that didn’t require use of her ankle. She was in the middle of her tenth rep when she heard a noise that stopped her cold. It was a baby cry. She swore she heard it. She pulled herself up and limped to the cell door. She heard the sound again and this time it was coming closer. Beth entered the corridor holding a small pink bundle. Shushing and bouncing as she walked to their makeshift kitchen area to prepare a bottle. Frankie stared in wonder. She couldn’t recall the last time she had seen a baby. Beth noticed her staring and smiled. She walked over to the cell and uncovered the baby’s face. The baby took the bottle hungrily and quieted instantly. Frankie gasped in disbelief and smiled, “What’s her name? You look so young to have a baby.” Beth chuckled, “Her name is Judith and she’s not mine. I just help care for her.” Frankie touched the baby’s tiny hand through the bars. “Where’s her mother?” she asked. Beth’s smile faded and Frankie knew instantly what Beth couldn’t say. “Beth?” Frankie and Beth both jumped at the sound of Rick’s voice. He approached quickly and Frankie could feel his anger. Beth dropped her eyes from his glare and apologized, “I was just heading to put her down for a nap.” She rushed off back into the cell block. Rick stared accusingly at Frankie. She stuttered as she spoke, “I…I’m sorry. Please don’t be upset with Beth, I wanted to see the baby. I haven’t seen one in so long.” He didn’t speak but continued to watch her. She spoke again, “She’s beautiful. Is she yours?” Rick eyes softened a little as he opened the cell door and set a chair in the doorway. “Yeah” he said sighing, “she’s mine.” Frankie gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry to hear about her mother.” She could see the pain in his eyes. He cleared his throat before speaking. “We’re here to talk about you.” Daryl then walked into the corridor followed by Hershel. They both sat at the table behind Rick, Daryl with his trusty crossbow in his lap, finger on the trigger. Frankie groaned and rolled her eyes. “I see you brought your henchman with you.” Daryl sneered at her but remained quiet. Rick leaned forward, “It’s time to tell us what we need to know Francesca. Where are you from? Where are your people?” Frankie stiffened at the sound of her full name. “Please don’t call me Francesca. I hate that. I go by Frankie.” Rick nodded, “Fine. Frankie, we’re waiting.” She sighed, “As you saw from my license, I’m from Arizona. As for my people, I have none. It’s just me now.” Rick cocked his head, “You don’t have a group? Where were you before we found you?” Frankie shook her head. “It was just me and my boyfriend. We were never part of any group. We’d come across camps every now and then but we never stayed long. Just long enough for shelter and food. Then we’d move on.” Daryl spoke up,” Is that Chase? Your boyfriend…where is he?” Frankie dropped her head and forced back the tears, “Yes…how did you know his name?” Daryl smirked, “you talk in your sleep, call out for him” Frankie raised an eyebrow, “That’s kind of creepy that you know that.” Rick brought her attention back, “You were also calling for him when we found you. Where is he?” Frankie sighed, “I don’t know.” Rick and Daryl exchanged skeptical looks. “I swear” she said, “I don’t know where he went. He left me.” Rick looked confused, “what do you mean he left you?” She looked at him with saddened eyes, “We were running from a herd of dead when I tripped over a rock. That’s how I hurt my ankle. The storm drain was the only cover we could find so we hid in there. I was exhausted and in pain so eventually I passed out. When I woke up, he was gone. Nothing but a note scribbled in the dirt that said ‘sorry’. I was there for days before you found me.” Daryl grunted, “you sure know how to pick em’.” She could see that he got some pleasure out of her being abandoned. She glared at him. “You were lucky not to have attracted any walkers while you were out there.” Hershel finally said. “She had a walker next to her when we found her” said Rick, “She was covered in its blood. It must have masked her scent.” He turned back to her, “How many walkers have you killed?” She shook her head, “I don’t know, a lot. I don’t keep track.” Daryl chimed in, “what about people? How many of those you kill?” Her eyes widened, “I haven’t killed anybody!” They stared at her calmly, “Why not?” Rick asked? She didn’t understand why they were asking her this but she thought about it anyway. She answered, “I guess because I haven’t had to.” Hershel look pleased with her response. Rick lowered his head before standing. She searched his face for some clue. Was that the right answer? She was confused. Rick left the chair then locked the cell door. As he started to head back to the cell block she called after him, “So what happens now?” Without turning around he said, “We see if you can survive.”


	5. Chapter 5

2 weeks later…

Frankie was in the middle of doing a set of pull up’s when in walked a woman that she hadn’t seen before. Following her was a teenage boy wearing a ridiculously large sheriff’s hat. The boy eyed her cautiously but continued to the cell block. The woman approached the cell slowly with a confused look on her face. Frankie took her in from head to toe. She was an African American woman with long dread locks and very large samurai sword on her back. Around her waist, she carried Frankie’s scimitar. The woman noticed Frankie’s eyes on the weapon and put her hand on it. “I know it’s yours. I’m only holding on to it until Rick says you can have it back.” Frankie stared at her but didn’t speak. The woman moved closer. “I’m Michonne…what’s your name?” Frankie stuck her hand out of the bars, “Frankie, nice to meet you.” Michonne hesitated a moment before shaking her hand. “I saw you when they first brought you in but I was leaving on a run for supplies. That was at least 2 weeks ago. I didn’t think you’d still be here.” Frankie scoffed, “Yeah, neither did I. Especially still locked in this cage. It kind of sucks in here. Hershel has taken really good care of me and I’m grateful to him but I’m ready to get out. Rick apparently doesn’t trust me yet. Anything you can do to about that?” Michonne gave her a disappointed look, “You need to know that Rick is good man. It may not seem like it right now but he is. He has a reason for everything that he does. He just needs to be sure.” “Be sure of what?” Frankie asked impatiently. Michonne’s eyes softened, “That you’re not going to hurt his family. You see, all of us here are his family, some by blood, others not but family all the same. Rick will die or kill trying to protect that. We all will, so you see it’s not personal. There’s more to fear out there than just the dead.” Frankie sighed in frustration and threw her hands in the air, “I’m a person! I don’t deserve to be locked up when I’ve done nothing wrong!” Michonne stepped back and sighed, “I’ll try to talk to him.” Frankie nodded to her as she walked away.

Michonne found Rick and Daryl looking over the weapons cache and taking stock. Rick’s eyes lit up, “Hey, there you are. Carl told us ya’ll were back. Looks like you did pretty well on the supply run. How’d he do out there?” Michonne gave a small smile, “He did good. He’s getting better.” Rick nodded and went back to his inventory. Michonne put her hand on his arm and he turned to her, “Listen we need to talk.” Rick gave his full attention, “Okay, what about?” Michonne looked at Daryl who had stopped what he was doing to listen. “We need to talk about Frankie.” Rick and Daryl exchanged glances. “What about her?” Rick asked. “Well” Michonne continued “For one, why is she still locked up?” Daryl chimed in, “because she’s a crazy bitch, for one.” Rick ignored Daryl’s response, “It’s the best place for her for now. We don’t know enough about her to let her loose.” Michonne shook her head, “You didn’t know anything about me and all you did was take away my sword. Hershel stitched me up, and after I helped out at Woodbury, you let me stay. I was nowhere near the shape she was in when you brought her here so why is it any different with her?” Rick sighed, “I don’t know why. I guess I’m just being extra cautious. I have a feeling about her and I don’t know if it’s good or bad but until I’m sure, I think she’s better off in that cell.” A voice interjected behind them, “I agree with Michonne.” They turned to find that Hershel had been listening to their conversation. “I’ve spent the most time with her. I don’t think we have anything to fear. She given no indication that she is a threat and I’ve personally learned a lot about her. You’d be surprised what you can find out if you show a little kindness.” Daryl grunted with irritation, “Okay so say we let her out and she hurts someone or does have a group waiting to attack at some point. She could just be a really good liar.” Hershel shook his head and looked directly at Daryl, “You’ve put her through the wringer personally and she hasn’t broken.” Daryl glared at him, “She busted my lip pretty good though didn’t she? Still think she can be trusted?” Hershel remained calm, “She lashed out only when you provoked her to do so. You beat a dog long enough, it’ll eventually bite back.” Daryl shook his head and turned his back to Hershel. Rick sighed, not knowing what to do. Hershel placed a gently hand on his shoulder. “The group seems to have taken to her so far. Give her a chance. We can’t keep her locked in there forever. It’s enough to drive anyone mad.” Michonne agreed, “We could put her to work, see how she does. Otherwise we let her go.” Rick looked to Daryl who shook his head at him. Rick nodded, “I’ll go talk to her.”

Frankie sat and watched everyone go about their daily activities. It made her smile to see Glenn and Maggie, Hershel’s eldest daughter, completely in love and protective of each other. She’d never known that kind of love and obviously wouldn’t now due to the world’s ending but it was nice to see that it still existed. Not all was lost. She realized that this group was very much a family and they were trying to hold on to each other and the world that they knew. It saddened her to think that she would never be part of a family again. She would forever be alone. She pushed the thought aside before she could start crying again. She spent her nights crying herself to sleep and she just wanted to feel happy for once. She decided that she would sing…loudly. If anything, it would occupy her mind and possibly irritate Rick enough for him to release her. She laughed at the song that popped into her head and she belted it out:

Should I stay or should I go now?  
Should I stay or should I go now?  
If I go there will be trouble  
An' if I stay it will be double  
So come on and let me know

This indecision's buggin' me   
If you don't want me, set me free   
Exactly whom I'm supposed to be---

“Alright that’s enough” Rick interrupted, “We get the point.” Frankie stood up, “I was beginning to think you didn’t like me Rick. Did you come to discuss my freedom?” He gave her an intense stare. “If I let you out and you do something stupid…I’ll have to kill you. Now I don’t want to do that.” Frankie started to get angry, “Why don’t you just kill me right now Rick? I’m tired of being locked up like an animal. Either set me free or shoot me. I refuse to stay in here one more day.” Daryl walked up and she groaned, “Ugh! Why are you always here?!” He gave her an evil smirk, “Ain’t much you can do about it if we decide to leave you in here.” She matched his smirk and winked at him, “Careful redneck, last time you said that, I proved you wrong. By the way how’s your lip?” The humor quickly left his eyes as he stepped towards the cell but Rick put his hand up to stop him. “You antagonizing him isn’t helping your case.” He then looked at Michonne who nodded her head to him. “We don’t care for taking in strangers. There have been certain exceptions but we don’t want to make it a habit…when you can fully walk again, you best be on your way.” Rick unlocked the cell door, “You can still use the cell to sleep in but you stay out of our cell block. You’ll get your weapons when you leave.” The whole group had gathered in the corridor. She could see concern on their faces except for Daryl who looked disappointed with Rick’s decision. Frankie had never felt more like an outcast. She looked around, “So am I restricted to the corridor then?” Rick pointed to the main door, “You can go outside if you want but you’re going to be watched every second, you understand?” She nodded and addressed the group, “I understand and respect your rules but I won’t be here much longer. I just need a few more days to get used to walking on my own again. Then I’ll be on my way.” Rick nodded at her before turning his back and walking away. The group slowly dispersed and went back to their duties for the day. Daryl stayed in close range to keep an eye on her. She sighed and sat at the table. She was going to be in over her head when she left the prison. She didn’t know how she was going to survive on her own but she was determined to prove that she didn’t need anybody. She had never been more scared to be alone in her life.


	6. Chapter 6

Frankie managed to stay at the prison for another week before she felt prepared enough to head out on her own. She had been forcing herself to walk without the crutch and as sore as her ankle still was, she was able to limp around on her own. Most of the group had been very kind to her and offered her some supplies to take with her on her journey. Carol made sure that she had water and gave her a small amount of food that could be spared. Maggie gave her some ammo and a change of clothes. Hershel gave her some pain pills that he had left over and told her to only take them as needed. He reminded her to rest when she could. She liked Hershel and decided that she was going to miss him. Michonne approached her as she was gathering her belongings, “You’re gonna need these back.” She said as she handed over the 9mm, hunting knife and finally the scimitar. “I took the liberty of sharpening them for you.” Frankie smiled at her. “Thank you Michonne. I really appreciate your kindness and your help with Rick.” Michonne smiled at her sadly, “You know, you could stay and try to make it work. Rick will come around and believe it or not, so will Daryl.” Frankie shook her head, “No, it’s better this way. I can’t be comfortable in a place where I’m not completely trusted. Everyone has to want me here. It’s a dangerous situation otherwise.” Michonne nodded and understood. She was also an outsider at one point and knew the feeling of being unwanted but she had a feeling about Frankie and didn’t want her to go. “It’s not safe out there” Michonne said, trying once more to make her stay, “More than the dead, you have to watch out the living. You’re a woman all alone on the road, it could get bad.” Frankie touched her shoulder, “Thank you for your concern. It’s more than anyone has shown me in a long time but believe me when I say that I can take care of myself. I know how to fight.” Michonne sighed and conceded her attempt. “You watch your back out there.” Frankie nodded, “Always.” 

Frankie walked herself to the front gate where Carl was waiting to let her out. Maggie and Glenn stood nearby and smiled at her sadly. “We’ll give you some cover until you can get to the trees” said Glenn. “Be careful” added Maggie. Frankie smiled and nodded. With her sword at the ready, Frankie waited for Carl to open the gate. “Take care kid.” She told him as she stepped out of the prison grounds. Carl waved as he shut the gate behind her. Maggie and Glenn laid down some cover fire and Frankie quickly made her way into the woods. Michonne and Rick watched Frankie go. “I don’t get why she couldn’t stay.” Michonne said to Rick. “She chose to leave” he replied. She turned to look at him, “you didn’t really give her much of choice. You and Daryl both made it clear that she was unwanted. Now she’s out there alone. You’re wrong about this. She’s no different than me, than us.” Rick finally looked at her, “If that’s true, then she’ll survive.” Michonne looked around, “Where’s Daryl? I thought for sure he would want to see her off.” Rick turned to walk back inside, “He went hunting.”

Frankie managed to get about ten miles from the prison without dealing with too many walkers. She knew Michonne was right. The walkers were the least of her worries. She needed to keep an eye out for people and she needed to be careful about whom to trust. Most of all, she needed to find shelter and she needed to find it fast. She decided to keep walking for as long as she could until she came across some kind of structure. She wanted to be indoors if possible. If she could settle down for the night, then she could get an early start the next day. She didn’t even know where she was going. She needed to establish a plan and a destination. She knew going east was no good. Then it hit her, her family. She would head home to Arizona. She knew that it would take forever to get there but it would be her ultimate destination. She needed to find out if they were alive. With some luck, she could find a vehicle and try to drive most of the way. She felt hopeful for once. After a few hours, she came across a tree stand in the woods. It wasn’t a shelter indoors like she wanted but she couldn’t afford to be picky at this point. She had been walking all day and her ankle was screaming at her for a rest. She decided that it would be the perfect spot to rest for the night, plus it was off the ground and safe from walkers. She tested the makeshift ladder and decided it wasn’t too sketchy. She climbed slowly, afraid that it might give way. When she was secure at the top, she breathed a sigh of relief. She leaned back against the tree and removed her left boot. She winced at the pain shooting through her leg. She fished out the pills that Hershel had given her and popped two of them before tearing into the package of crackers that Carol had given her. Before long, the pills kicked in and she found herself drifting off to sleep, proud of herself for surviving her first day alone in the now dead world.


	7. Chapter 7

Frankie woke at dawn every morning and after a quick breakfast of water and whatever else she could find, she laced up her boots and was ready to press on. She was a bit disappointed to leave her tree stand but she needed to continue on and hopefully find a vehicle that she could hot wire. It had been three days since she left the prison and frankly she was tired of walking. She was entertaining herself by trying to balance on the train tracks when she heard movement in the woods to her left. She stopped and stood still. She knew it wasn’t a walker because the sound wasn’t constant. Someone was watching her. Her senses were on full alert as she strained to hear. There was silence again so she slowly started to walk on, constantly looking over her shoulder. As she quickened her pace, she heard the sound again. She stopped, “I know someone is there! I don’t want any trouble!” There was more crackling of twigs and leaves and then two large men emerged from the woods. They were dirty and looked like they had been traveling awhile. They stopped about ten feet from her, one of them smiled. “Hey there pretty lady. Where you headed?” Frankie’s guard was up and she fingered the sword nestled against her hip. “Nowhere in particular” she responded keeping her voice calm and even. She didn’t want them to hear that she was nervous. “Well you sure look like you’re in a hurry” one of them said as he eyed her from head to toe. He licked his lips and smiled at her revealing a set of rotten teeth. He stepped forward, “What’s your name sweet thing?” Frankie adjusted her back pack and tried to keep calm, “Well it’s not sweet thing I can tell you that much.” The man laughed and looked at his friend who was eyeing Frankie like a piece of meat, “She’s funny ain’t she Jimmy? This here is my pal Jimmy. My name is Tony.” Frankie nodded nonchalantly, “Nice to meet you. Excuse me but I need to be going.” She stepped past him and maneuvered around Jimmy. As she walked away she heard their steps fall in behind her.   
She tried to act natural but as her pace quickened, so did theirs. Tony spoke again, “For someone who’s going nowhere in particular, you sure are walking fast.” She ignored him and sped up. “You know I was thinking” Tony said, “You may be able to help us out. Maybe with some supplies, some water maybe.” Frankie spoke over her shoulder, “Sorry, I don’t have any supplies to spare.” Jimmy finally spoke, “Oh I don’t know about that honey. I’m sure you can supply us with something.” He reached out and grabbed her shoulder. Frankie turned suddenly and clocked him in the jaw with a left hook. Then she broke into a run, off the tracks and into the woods towards the main road. “Bitch!” she heard Jimmy yell, “Get that whore Tony!” She could hear them behind her and she pushed herself to sprint faster praying that she didn’t lose her balance and fall. She wasn’t as fast as she would’ve been had her ankle been normal but she ignored the pain and ran until her lungs felt like they were going to explode. She could see the main road through the trees and was at the edge of the woods when Tony tackled her from behind. His weight knocked the wind right out of her. He grabbed a handful of her hair and slammed her head into the ground. Everything went blurry for a moment and started to spin. She could smell his stale breath as he struggled to lift her up. “That was stupid move bitch. We just wanted to be friends.” He back handed her so that she fell back on her rear. She managed to get to her feet and turned once again towards the road. She unsheathed her sword as she tried to run but was off kilter. She could taste blood in her mouth. She stumbled into the road and finally got her footing. She took her stance as both men emerged and headed towards her. “You know how to use that thing?” Jimmy asked. Frankie held the sword out in front of her, “Come and find out.” Both men laughed and attacked at the same time. She kicked Tony back only to fall into Jimmy who grabbed her by the back pack and flung her like a ragdoll. She rolled as she hit the ground. Getting up, she shrugged her bag off and tossed it aside. Tony sucked his teeth, “You gotta learn when to give up baby but I like your fire.” He ran at her and she side stepped, swinging and laying his back wide open with her sword. He fell and laid there on the ground as he struggled to breath. She stood over him and looked at Jimmy who was in a rage but too shocked to move. Tony rolled over and stared up at her, “Please” he begged. “Sorry sweet thing” she said, as she thrust her sword down into his heart. He gurgled for a moment before going limp. Jimmy stared at Tony wide eyed and then back to Frankie as she started towards him. He reached behind him to retrieve his gun from his waistband. As he brought it forward to take aim, it was too late. With one quick swing, she sliced his throat. Jimmy hit his knees, his eyes never leaving hers as he collapsed face first into the dirt. Frankie staggered before also falling down, the adrenaline now leaving her body. She sat in the middle of the road and stared at her corpses. Thunder rolled out of nowhere and as she looked to the sky, it released a downpour. She didn’t bother moving. The shock of the events and the blow to her head had her reeling. As all the adrenaline left, something else took over. She started crying, her body heaving with heavy sobs. She lied down in the mud and let the rain wash it all away.


	8. Chapter 8

The rain continued as Frankie lay in the mud. Her head pounded something fierce and she wanted desperately to sleep but forced herself to stay awake by rolling onto her back and letting the rain pelt her face. As she laid there contemplating on what to do next, a familiar angry voice came out of nowhere. “What the hell you doin’?” Frankie turned her head and tried to focus her eyes on the figure standing before her. Her vision was blurry as she squinted at him and was able to make out the tall man with the crossbow. Frankie sighed and looked back to the sky, “Took you long enough. I was beginning to think that you lost my trail.” Daryl stepped forward, “The hell you talkin’ about?” Frankie chuckled, “I know you’ve been following me since I left the prison. You left first and waited for me. You’ve been watching me.” Daryl stayed silent and then looked around as he took in the corpses laid beside her. He looked her up and down and could see that she was injured. “Why didn’t you stab them in the head? They’re gonna turn. Don’t you know nothin’?” Frankie held her palm to her head, “Anything.” She said. “What?” Daryl asked confused. “Don’t I know anything” Frankie corrected. Daryl scoffed, “whatever”. He stepped up and shot an arrow into the head of the corpses. Then he gathered her backpack from the side of the road and tossed it to her. “Let’s go” he said. Frankie looked up at him but didn’t move. Daryl reached down and grabbed her by the arm, lifting her up effortlessly. She staggered on her feet but he steadied and held her by both arms. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying and despite all the rain she had a steady trickle of blood running down her forehead. Her lip was swollen from where Tony had back handed her. Daryl stared at her and felt a small twinge of guilt for being so far behind. He also felt a tiny bit of respect for her having held her own with such big guys, let alone two of them. He had indeed been following her. She was right about that and the rain had almost washed away her trail but he had still been able to see where the scuffle took place. He wasn’t sure how she knew that he was following her. Daryl placed Frankie’s backpack on her and secured her sword back in her belt. “We need to get out of this rain.” He said, “I know of a place up ahead where we can wait it out.” Frankie stumbled forward again as she tried to walk. Daryl caught her and grunted in irritation as he flung one of her arms over his shoulder. “Damn it. Why do you always need to be rescued?”

Daryl and Frankie came to a large warehouse department store. Daryl cleared the parking lot of the few walkers that roamed and then helped Frankie sit down while he banged on the window to draw out the rest that were inside. Daryl helped Frankie to her feet and they entered the store, securing the door behind them. “Is that a good idea?” Frankie asked, “what if there’s more in here, or people for that matter. Maybe we shouldn’t block our way out.” Daryl switched on a flashlight and aimed his crossbow out in front of him, “You want just anyone walking in here? There’s another exit in the back. We could fight our way out if we had too. This place is usually pretty empty.” Frankie looked around, “I take it you come here often?” Daryl cautiously walked through the aisles listening for any movement, “It’s one of my spots along the way. Now zip it so I can clear this place. Can’t hear with all your yappin’.” Frankie rolled her eyes but followed silently. She scanned the aisles and strained her ears to hear. There was faint shuffling and Daryl signaled for her to stay quiet. She unsheathed her sword and watched his back as he moved around the store. He only had to kill a couple walkers before the store was cleared. Daryl began looking for any useful supplies and food. Frankie limped around in search for something dry to put on. Although the store was abandoned, it hadn’t yet been looted of everything. Frankie came across the clothing section and began searching through the leftover piles until she found some jeans and a dry top to put on. Daryl was nowhere to be seen so she figured that it was safe to change where she was. She undressed down to her bra and panties and made a mental note to also look for some dry undergarments. Daryl came around the corner and stopped short as he saw Frankie changing in between the clothing racks. He couldn’t stop himself from staring at her toned body. His face got hot as he felt his own body react to what he was seeing. Her skin was smooth and body well-muscled but still feminine. She had full breasts and a firm behind that was followed by shapely thighs and calves. She had several tattoos that seemed to tell a story by the specific designs. Daryl had to adjust himself and continued to watch her but his desire stopped when Frankie turned just enough so that he could see her back. He winced as he took sight of the numerous scars that marred her beautiful skin. It looked as if she had been whipped repeatedly. The thought both angered and saddened him and he wondered who could have inflicted so much damage to her and why. He forced himself to look away and silently moved back into the aisle where he had come from. 

Daryl scored a sleeping bag, a tarp and a lantern in the camping section. He spread the sleeping bag and tarp out on the ground and lit the lantern. Frankie walked up and tossed a box at him. “Twinkie?” she asked. Daryl grabbed the box and ripped it open, “Hell yeah.” He said as he stuffed the spongey treat in his mouth. Frankie walked back and forth and displayed her findings along the ground in front of them. Along with the clothing, she had found two dirty throw pillows and a couple blankets that had been covering a walker body. She handed Daryl a blanket and pillow. “They’re not the cleanest and don’t smell great but it’s better than nothing.” Daryl nodded to her and stuffed the pillow behind his head as he stretched out. Frankie began stuffing random items that she had found into a duffel bag. Daryl watched her curiously. “You gonna carry all that with you?” She nodded, “Yeah, its stuff that could come in handy.” Daryl scoffed at her, “You can barely walk straight, how you gonna carry that heavy ass bag?” Frankie shrugged, “I’ll manage. Unless you want to carry it for me” she winked at him. Daryl scowled at her, “shit, you wish.” Frankie rummaged through her findings until she found the box of Band-Aids. She used her discarded wet shirt as a rag to wipe at the blood from her head and lip. She hissed at the pain. Daryl made an irritated noise as he grabbed the shirt from her, “this is like watchin’ a handicapped kid tie his shoes.” Frankie didn’t have a retort but as he roughly wiped the blood from her head she shoved his shoulder, “Ow! Could you be any rougher?” Daryl rolled his eyes at her, “You wanna find out? Stop being a wuss.” She gave him a glare but stayed still as he continued to tend her wounds. He covered the cut on her head with a Band-Aid. “You’re gonna have a nice bruise right there. You probably shouldn’t sleep in case you have a concussion.” Frankie raised an eyebrow, “You a doctor?” He ignored her sarcasm as he wiped at the blood on her lip, “Get your head bashed in enough times, you learn a few things.” Frankie tilted her head, “Who did that to you?” Daryl stiffened at the personal question, “You really wanna go into comparing scars?” Frankie furrowed her brow, “What is that supposed to mean?” Daryl shook his head, “Nothing.” He grabbed his flashlight and shined it into her eyes but she shut her eyes and looked away. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look back at him, “Keep your eyes open. I’m trying to check your pupils.” Frankie looked straight ahead and he shined the light again, “You’re pupils look normal. Guess if you ain’t passed out yet, you’ll be alright.” He went back to the sleeping bag and stretched out again covering himself with the dirty blanket. Frankie lay down opposite him and tried to get comfortable. Her body ached all over and her head pounded. What she wouldn’t give for some pain killers and vodka. She glanced over at Daryl who was laying with his arms crossed over his chest, “Thank you for helping me” she said. There was silence for a moment before he grunted at her, “Get some sleep.” It didn’t take long before the fatigue took over the pain and she drifted off.


	9. Chapter 9

Daryl woke in the early hours to sounds of whimpering. He relit the lantern and pointed it toward where the sound was coming from. Frankie tossed and turned in her sleep. She whimpered loudly as if someone was hurting her. Daryl could make out tear streaks on her face. He watched her for a long time as she continued to whimper and moan. He wanted to know what was causing her such pain but he knew better than to ask. He wouldn’t want anyone prying into his personal business. He figured she must be dreaming about the two guys she killed on the road. Maybe it was her first time. He was lost in thought when she suddenly stopped moving and was quiet. He stared at her for a moment as he couldn’t tell if she was breathing. He watched her chest for the rise and fall but didn’t see one. He realized he was holding his own breath and he moved closer to her. He leaned over her to listen for her breath when she gasped awake causing him to jump. “Shit!” he exclaimed at he tossed the lantern aside. She stared at him with wide eyes, “What are you doing?!” He raked his hand through his hair, “I thought you were dead!” She looked at him confused, “Why the heck would you think that?” He shook his head as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket, “It didn’t look like you were breathing. Plus you have a concussion, thought maybe you died in your sleep.” She chuckled at him, “No such luck for you. Sorry.” She wiped the sleep from her eyes and noticed they were wet. Embarrassed that she had been crying in her sleep again, she tried to discreetly wipe her face but he was watching her. She looked away and dug into her bag for her toothbrush. He spoke again, “You shouldn’t let it bother you. You did what you had to do.” She stopped and looked up at him, “I should let what bother me?” He thought maybe he was out of line by bringing it up but she needed to know that this was the world now. Sometimes you’d have to do terrible things. “The two guys you killed don’t feel bad about it. I’m sure they had it comin’ and you held your own. It’s a new world now and you’re gonna have to do things like that. You shouldn’t cry about it. Not for them.” She laughed before turning serious once again and pinning him with an icy glare, “You think I’m crying over those dickheads? I knew what they wanted to do to me and I didn’t hesitate to protect myself. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. No matter what kind of world this is, I’m still a woman and men still feel that they can take advantage whenever they want. It doesn’t bother me that I killed those men. I’ve killed for less.” She laughed at the surprised look on his face. “So it doesn’t bother you at all?” She sighed, “You know what bothers me Daryl? The fact that it doesn’t bother me.” 

Daryl and Frankie packed up their supplies. “Rains stopped” he said looking out the door, “looks pretty clear.” Frankie hoisted the duffel bag over her shoulder. “Guess I should be going then. You plan on following me still?” Daryl shrugged, “Do I need to?” She shrugged back, “If you’re that bored, feel free. I’m making my way back to Arizona. I want to see if my family is still there.” He continued to stare at her and she shook her head, “If I was going to meet up with a group and attack your prison, I’d have done it by now. I know you don’t trust that but you should. I have no cause to harm you or your people. I’m grateful for the help you all provided.” He looked skeptical but nodded, “Alright then.” They walked outside and back to the main road. She turned to him to say goodbye when she caught movement in the woods. Her senses were on full alert. “We need to move” she said as she scanned the tree line. Daryl saw the look of panic on her face and instantly raised his crossbow. “What is it?” he asked. Frankie shook her head, “It’s someone…we need to get off the road.” As she said the words, something whizzed by their heads and hit a tree on the other side. It took a second for them to realize that they were being shot at. Daryl pushed her to the other side of the road, “Run!” They ran into the woods, zigzagging between the trees, bullets whizzing past them. They got separated and Frankie hugged her body to a tree as she tried to catch her breath. She pulled the bag in front of her body and dug around for her 9mm. making sure it was loaded; she whispered a small prayer and began to move through the trees again, trying to stay low. She was grabbed from behind and a hand went over her mouth. “Quiet” a voice whispered. She looked up to see Daryl. He hugged her body close to his as they listened. “Who is it?” She whispered to him. He shook his head, “I don’t know. I think there’s only one but I don’t want to stay and find out. Try to stay quiet and follow me.” He stepped in front of her and pulled a gun out of his waist band. He adjusted his crossbow on his back, “Let’s go.” They moved slowly in between the trees while trying to listen for their attacker’s whereabouts. Daryl would constantly signal to her to stop and then when to move again. They reached the train tracks but lingered in the tree line. Frankie’s heart pounded in her ears. They were at a disadvantage. There was nowhere to go. “Alright” Daryl said turning to her, “You stay put. I’m finding this douchebag.” Frankie grabbed his arm, “No way, you’re not going out there alone. Let me help.” He shoved her back, “I said stay put! Don’t need you gettin’ your ass shot off.” He left her standing there as he made his way back into the woods behind them. After a few minutes of silence, Frankie became frustrated and decided not to follow Daryl’s directions. She walked slowly and tracked Daryl’s steps in the dirt. She saw him up ahead behind a tree. He had his gun out in front of him and suddenly began to fire. Frankie ducked down and tried to see where the return fire was coming from. It stopped suddenly and she saw that Daryl was still standing. She breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward but as Daryl turned towards her, her eyes widened. “DOWN!” she yelled. Daryl dropped to the ground right as a bullet that was meant for him whizzed past followed by another from Frankie’s gun. Daryl heard a thud behind him and turned to see a man on the ground. He looked back to Frankie who was still aiming her gun. Daryl got up and took the dead man’s gun, then walked back to Frankie. “Thought I told you to stay put!” He said angrily. She scoffed at him, “You’re welcome jerk. I only just saved your ass!” He shook his head and then grabbed her arm, “You’re bleeding.” Frankie looked down at her left arm and saw a nice size gash that was oozing blood. “It only grazed it” she said bending down and taking some bandages out of her bag. Daryl took the bandages from her and wrapped her arm, tying it off to stop the blood flow. “You sure to have a tendency to get hurt.” He said. She nodded, “Yeah I’m accident prone. I’m used to it.” Frankie looked around, “Do you know who these guys were?” Daryl shook his head, “Nah, probably just some assholes trying to score whatever they can from whoever they can. I never seen em’.” Frankie sighed, “Can’t wait to see what the rest of the day has in store.” She began walking back to the main road with Daryl silently in tow. “Well I guess this is it” she said. She clapped him on the shoulder, “See ya.” She walked away down the main road while Daryl stood watching her. He was conflicted about what to do. He couldn’t stand her and still didn’t trust her but she had saved his life. He was good at reading people. Deep down he knew that she wasn’t a bad person. She had been dealt a bad hand, just like he had. He could relate to her and that kind of pissed him off. He sighed and jogged to catch up to her. “Hold up!” She stopped and stared at him. He looked like he had just swallowed vinegar and she could tell that he was having a hard time speaking.  
She waited patiently. “Listen” he said hesitantly, “You should come back with me.” Frankie was shocked. That’s not what she expected him to say. “Wow. Those words must have been painful for you.” He glared at her. She inclined her head to him, “Thanks for the offer but I’m probably better off on my own. Besides, I know you’re just trying to be nice, you know, since I saved your life and all.” Daryl rolled his eyes, “You’re really annoying you know that?” Frankie gave him an adorable smile, “Yes I do. I get off on it. Look, I know that Rick doesn’t want me there and neither do you. So it’s better if we just part ways.” She turned to start walking again. “You know they’re not alive anymore.” He called after her. He could see the hurt in her eyes when she turned to look at him again. The look on her face made his chest hurt but he shook it off. “I have to know” she said after a moment. He walked to her, “Why? You know deep down, they didn’t survive. You’re gonna get all the way over there and then what? Be all alone?” She stared into his eyes, “I’m all alone now. What difference does it make?” He felt for her at that moment. He knew what it felt like to be alone and not have anyone to rely on. He swallowed hard, “Look, just come back to the prison. You won’t be alone and Hershel can stitch up that arm. If you don’t tend to it soon, it’s gonna get infected and then you’ll be worse off. Besides, after the couple of days you had, it’s better not to be out here alone.” Frankie hung her head and thought about his offer. She knew he was right. It was dangerous to be alone on the road and she really did need to recover from her wounds. She also knew he was probably right about her family. She knew deep down that they were gone. She could feel it in her heart. She swallowed back her tears, “What about Rick?” Daryl lit a cigarette, “Don’t worry about him. I’ll take care of it.” She nodded her head, “Okay, I’ll come back with you but just until I’m healed.” Daryl shrugged, “Whatever you say.” They turned and walked off together down the road. “Can I have a drag off your cigarette?” She asked. “Piss off” he replied. Frankie smiled to herself. She knew he didn’t hate her as much as he pretended to and she was going to prove it.


	10. Chapter 10

Frankie and Daryl arrived at the prison around dusk. Frankie was stopped by Carl and Michonne who seemed genuinely pleased that she was back. Rick met Daryl at the main entrance and had a surprised look on his face. He raised an eyebrow at Daryl, “What’s this about?” Without stopping to explain, Daryl replied, “She’s stayin’” and walked inside. Rick lightly chuckled and shook his head confused. Knowing Daryl, there had to be a good reason for him bringing Frankie back. He decided to give Daryl time to settle in and then he would find out exactly what happened out there. Rick greeted Frankie with a nod of his head and she gave him a small smile, “Daryl asked me to come back” she said immediately. Rick placed his hands on his hips and looked at his feet, “I’m sure there’s a good reason. I don’t normally question Daryl’s decisions, I ain’t gonna start now.” He turned and led the way inside. Frankie followed and was greeted by the rest of the group. She immediately sought out Hershel and showed him the wound on her arm. She held a death grip on the edge of the table as he stitched her up. How she missed being able to go to a doctor where they could give you a local to numb the pain. Hershel patted her shoulder when he was finished, “All done. You’re lucky to be alive. Looks like you had a rough time out there.” Frankie smiled at him, “It wasn’t too bad. I had some help.” Hershel nodded, “I’m glad you’re back. We could really use you around here.” Frankie hopped off the table as Daryl approached. He looked at her arm, “You good?” Frankie nodded and Hershel spoke, “She’ll be fine. She’s lucky it just grazed her. She needs her rest though.” Daryl motioned for Frankie to follow him. They walked into the cell block and Frankie marveled at how the group had made it their own. Some cells had blankets or makeshift curtains hung up for privacy. Frankie followed Daryl up the stairs to the second tier. He stopped in front of a small guard tower that had plexiglass windows all around it. “You can take this perch. No need to sleep in a cage again.” Frankie stepped inside and looked around the small room. There was a desk and swivel chair. Daryl immediately began gathering his belongings from the room and moving them out. Frankie felt bad for taking his spot. “You don’t need to move out of here.” She said, “I don’t mind sleeping in a cell. At least these ones have a cot.” Daryl shook his head, “It’s alright. You should be in here.” He left with his belongings but returned a few minutes later with a thin mattress and a blanket. He tossed them on the floor. “It ain’t much but it’s better than nothin’.” Frankie nodded to him, “Thanks, I really appreciate it.” He hesitated for a moment before turning and walking away. Frankie began to unpack her bag and spread out her things. Carol was kind enough to show her where she could wash up and their process for washing clothes. She picked up Frankie’s clothes which were covered with dirt and blood and took them to be washed. Frankie offered to do it herself but Carol insisted that she get settled and rest. She cleaned herself up and then went back to lie down, falling fast asleep. 

Rick found Daryl fixing his crossbow in one of the cells. Rick leaned against the doorway, “What happened out there?” Daryl didn’t answer and didn’t bother looking up. He fiddled with the string on his bow. Rick walked into the cell and sat on the edge of the cot. “You gave up your space for her. Something must have changed your mind.” Daryl sighed and tossed down his crossbow, he lit a cigarette, “She’s strong. Our group needs strong people.” Rick nodded but wasn’t satisfied, “I trust your instincts. I just think there’s more to the story.” Daryl puffed his cigarette in silence for a moment before answering, “She took out a couple guys. It happened before I caught up to her. Pretty sure I know what they had in mind for her but she handled herself.” Rick was impressed that Frankie was as skilled as she said she was. Two men could be too much for anyone, let alone a woman. “She also may have saved my ass out there.” Rick looked surprised at Daryl’s confession but didn’t interrupt. “We got pinned down by some assholes with guns. I thought there was only one and I took him out. I had told her to stay put but she didn’t listen. That bullet she took was meant for me. She dropped the guy. He was right behind me Rick. I should be dead right now.” Rick stood up, “Yeah but you aren’t. I guess it’s a good thing she didn’t listen.” Rick left the cell and looked up and guard tower where Frankie was sleeping. He trusted Daryl with his life. If he said Frankie was okay then he believed him. 

Rick gathered everyone inside so Beth could pass out dinner. Frankie was the last to join and she sat awkwardly in the corner. Beth handed her a bowl of some type of gruel and smiled, “Thanks for coming back.” Frankie smiled and thanked her. She watched how the group interacted with each other. They still found reasons to laugh and joke. It was almost as if civilization hadn’t ended and they were just a group of friends chatting around the table. Frankie noticed that Daryl, even though involved in the conversation, still kept his distance, making sure not to be too close. He sat hovered over his food and ate in silence most of the time. Frankie caught his eye a couple times but he always looked away, embarrassed of being caught. She went back to her tower and returned with a brand new bottle of Jack Daniels. She approached the table and offered the bottle to Rick. “I wanted to thank you for letting me stay. I happened to find this when Daryl and I hunkered down in that department store. Luckily it wasn’t completely cleaned out.” Rick took the bottle and smiled shaking his head, “Haven’t had this in a while” he said, “thank you.” Daryl jumped up and grabbed the bottle from Rick, “The hell we waitin’ for?” He opened the bottle and took a swig, wincing as it burned his throat. He passed the bottle around the table, encouraging everyone to take a drink. Carl looked over at Rick for approval when it was his turn. Rick grinned and nodded, “Just one. It’ll make you sick.” Carl smiled and grabbed the bottle taking a large swig. He instantly looked like he wanted to vomit as he swallowed the warm whisky. “Oh my god that’s disgusting!” The group laughed as Carl passed the bottle along. The group, with the exception of Hershel and Beth, drank and laughed as they reminisced about past experiences. Beth sang a song and for the first time in a long time, Frankie felt like she finally belonged somewhere. She finally had a family again.


	11. Chapter 11

Later that night while everyone slept, Frankie was wide awake. She sat perched on top of the guard’s desk in her small office tower. She could see out into the prison yard and although it was dark, she could make out the decomposed corpses that lined the fence. They continually bumped into it and clustered together trying to find a way in. Frankie thought to herself that the dead clustering could potentially be a problem. She picked up the bottle of Jack and tipped it in their direction. “Cheers” she said as she took a healthy swig. Her head spun a little and the harsh liquid warmed her chest. It didn’t take long to kick in since she barely had anything else in her belly. She welcomed the warmth and the way it made her forget everything else that was going on in the world. She just wanted a bit of normalcy for a little while. She caught movement in the corner of her eye and noticed Daryl in the doorway. He immediately averted his eyes when he noticed that she was only wearing a t-shirt and nothing else. He dipped his head to avoid eye contact. “Sorry” he said starting to back out of the office. Frankie swung her legs down, “no it’s okay. I’m just having a drink.” She took another swig and then offered him the bottle. He shook his head, “No thanks, I just wanted to check if I left my extra bow string in here.” His eyes darted quickly around the office until he found what he was looking for. Frankie drunkenly watched him as he moved about. She took in the way his muscles rippled at the slightest movement, the way his eyes had an icy gaze but held so much softness underneath. She stared at his hands and bit her lip as she realized that she wanted to feel their roughness against her skin. Daryl noticed her staring at him and immediately became uncomfortable with the way her eyes darkened with desire as she raked them over his body. He cleared his throat, “Sorry again to bother you. Goodnight.” 

Frankie hopped off of the desk and approached him slowly, her fingers playing with the hem of her shirt, lifting it up ever so slightly. Daryl froze and his breath caught in his throat. He told himself to breathe and tried his hardest to look away but he couldn’t. She captivated him about as much as she annoyed him. He let his eyes drift over her tight body until she was close enough that he could feel her warm breath and smell the whisky. She tipped her head up to look at him, the seduction playing in her eyes; she placed her hand gently on his bicep causing him to tense immediately. She whispered softly as she pressed her body against his “You don’t have to go yet. Why don’t you stay awhile…relax” She pushed him back and he fell into a chair. She giggled to herself at the panicked look on his face. His eyes were wide with shock as she straddled his hips and wrapped her arms around his neck. She gently grazed her cheek against his and inhaled his manly scent. She took his face in her hands and stared into his eyes, “when are you going to admit that you don’t hate me as much as you pretend to?” He tried his best to glare at her but she threw her head back and let out a light, raspy, sexy laugh that stiffened him immediately. Her eyes went dark as she felt his reaction. She slightly moved her hips and he sucked in a sharp breath. She dipped her head and let her lips graze his for a second before she pressed her mouth deeper into his. Daryl gripped the arms of the chair as his head swam from her kiss. She was toxic and he could feel it. He wanted to lose himself inside of her. He fought the urge to bury his hands in her hair so he balled them into fists and kept them firmly at his side. Frankie raked her fingers though his hair and down the back of his neck, sending chill throughout his body. She moved against him and moaned softly at the pleasure that was mounting between her thighs. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have him inside of her if she was already feeling this good just from rubbing on him. He moaned into his mouth and pulled back slightly to look at him. His eyes were hooded and he was taking short ragged breaths. She noticed his hands hadn’t moved and that he was trying very hard not to touch her. She ran her hand down her breasts over her shirt and stopped when she reached where their bodies connected. She teased by lifting her shirt up, exposing her taught belly. Daryl stared at her and allowed his eyes to drop as he watched her move against him. He shut his eyes tight and swallowed hard. Frankie grabbed his hand and pressed it against her stomach. She guided it up towards her breasts and hissed as his calloused hands made contact with her nipples. She let out a small moan and leaving his hand in place, she reached down to unbuckle his belt. Daryl’s eyes snapped open at that moment and he was suddenly brought back to his senses. 

He lifted her up effortlessly and stood up, setting her back on her feet. She stared at him in disbelief as he straightened himself. “What’s wrong?” she asked sounding a bit hurt. He caught his breath before trying to speak. “You don’t wanna do this.” She chuckled lightly and stepped forward reaching for him “of course I do, don’t you?” He moved away from her reach, “you’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re doing.” She rolled her eyes, “I know perfectly well what I am doing. If you don’t find me attractive you can just say so. You don’t have to pretend that you’re doing me any favors.” She now felt insulted and she wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was the booze. Maybe he was right and she was too drunk. She would probably regret it in the morning but she just wanted to feel like her old self. She needed to pretend that there wasn’t a herd of dead bodies walking around outside. She wanted to feel like a woman again. He must have noticed her thinking to herself because he cleared his throat again. She avoided his eyes, “I’m sorry if I overstepped. Guess I thought there was something there. I was wrong. It won’t happen again.” He winced slightly but composed himself. He didn’t mean to hurt her feelings. God knows he wanted to lose himself in her and he knew that he could have her head reeling and body shaking in no time but it wasn’t right. He wasn’t sure if he even liked her that way. He didn’t want any drama amongst the group nor did he want it to be awkward afterwards. He wasn’t exactly the relationship type. He didn’t need any female bullshit right now, as tempting as she was. She gave him a half smile, “Guess I should get to bed.” Daryl nodded as he backed out of the room, he turned to say something but she held up her hand, “Just…don’t. It’s ok.” He sighed and walked out. She watched him as he grabbed his bow and headed outside. He couldn’t get out of there fast enough as he practically ran through the yard. Since there wasn’t a cold shower available, he would run around for a while and use the walkers as target practice. Frankie watched him from the window and her vision became blurry as her eyes filled up with tears. She quickly wiped them away and headed to lie down on her mattress. She must be drunk. She rarely cried and she didn’t know why she was crying now. Was it because he turned her down or because she allowed herself to get carried away? The next day was going to be interesting but she promised herself that she would act like nothing happened. It would only be awkward if she made it that way. She would just stay clear of Daryl Dixon from now on.


	12. Chapter 12

Over the next few weeks, it was easier to avoid Daryl than Frankie thought it would be. That was mainly because he was going out of his way to avoid her. He volunteered to go on runs with Glenn or Michonne and would be gone days at a time. He went out of his way to make sure they weren’t even in the same room together. Frankie didn’t think it was that big of a deal anymore. So she made a move, basically threw herself at him and he rejected her. Was that any reason to act so childish? She couldn’t understand why he was so upset over it. They were both adults after all. She was suddenly struck with a thought. Maybe he was a virgin. She nodded to herself. That would make the most sense. No wonder why he was so uncomfortable and nervous. The thought made her feel a little better. Maybe she wasn’t completely repulsive to him…unless he was gay she thought to herself jokingly. Then she sobered at that thought. Maybe that was it. He could be gay but not openly so. Maybe he didn’t want anyone to know and that’s why he freaked out. She felt sorry and chided herself for putting him in such a situation. She decided that would apologize to him the first second she got. 

As Daryl and Glenn returned from their supply run, Frankie was helping Maggie and Carol clear some of the walker cluster from the fences. Glad that she was too busy to notice him, Daryl helped carry the supplies inside. Rick was inside feeding Judith and greeted Daryl and Glenn with a nod. They began to sort through the supplies and Beth helped organize. “Everything go alright?” Rick asked as he burped Judith. Glenn nodded but motioned to Daryl, “He’s having issues with his bike. He should be able to fix it before the next run though.” Daryl nodded and sighed, “I’m gonna go take a look right now, see what the problem is.” Rick clapped his shoulder, “let me know if you need any help.” Daryl inclined his head and walked outside. He’d been working on it for about two hours and was cursing to himself when Frankie walked up behind him, “Bike problems?” Daryl stiffened at the sound of her voice. He didn’t bother turning around but instead grunted in response. “What’s the problem? Maybe I can help.” He looked at her skeptically, “I doubt it. I’m good.” Frankie stood and watched him fumble with the bike for a few minutes. He cursed loudly, “God damn clutch!” He turned to find her staring at him with her head cocked to the side. She really annoyed him. “What do you want?” he snapped. She winced at his tone. “I was just offering a hand, you know kind of like a peace offering. I’m sorry about what happened between us. I shouldn’t have put you in that position and I understand why you were so uncomfortable.” He glared at her, “You don’t know nothin’! Nothin’ about bikes and you damn sure don’t know nothin’ about me!” He threw his greasy rag into the dirt. Frankie stepped forward and spoke softly, “You don’t have to hide who you are Daryl. Everyone will understand. I think you just need to accept it.” He stared at her dumbfounded. “What they hell are you talking about?” She leaned closer and whispered, “You know…you being gay.” Daryl about choked. His eyes were wide with shock for an instant before they went wild and angry. He backed her up against the wall and wrapped his hand around her neck, “what the hell did you just say to me?!” he seethed. Frankie’s mind raced with what to say next. Maybe she was completely wrong about the gay thing. Either that or he was in complete denial. She stuttered as she tried to form her words, “I…I’m s…sorry. I assumed that was why you were so upset and avoiding me because I put you in an uncomfortable situation. I thought maybe that’s why you weren’t attracted to me.” She could feel his breath on her face, he was so close. His expression was murderous. She actually feared that he was going to hit her this time. She raised her hand to his, which still had a decent grip on her neck, “Please…” she pleaded softly, “I’m sorry.” He could see tears forming in her eyes and feel her trembling beneath him. He immediately removed his hand from her and dropped his head, taking a deep breath. When he looked back at her, his eyes held less rage but he was still plenty angry. “You should go” he said without taking his eyes off of her. She was rubbing at the spot on her neck where he had grabbed her. When she didn’t move right away, he said “Now.” Frankie dropped her eyes and slowly moved away from him. When she was out of his reach, she turned and walked quickly inside. Daryl shook his head in disbelief. What the hell was she thinking? Just because he refused to take advantage of the situation, she immediately assumed he was gay? It was no wonder what kind of guys she was used to. He wanted so bad to keep going that night. He didn’t want her to stop touching him or to stop looking at him the way she did. He knew that if he let himself go with her, he would be completely undone. He took note of the way the others in the group were with their relationships. Nothing else mattered. The safety of the person they loved came first before their own. In his eyes, it weakened them. He couldn’t afford to be that way. He wouldn’t lose his life over someone else. He scoffed to himself. He wasn’t a sucker like they were and he never would be. It was always just him against the world. Even when his brother was around, he had still been on his own. That was how he liked it and no piece of ass was going to change that, no matter how beautiful she was. He would never allow her to get that close again. 

Later that night as the group ate dinner Daryl noticed that Frankie was not among them. He had started to feel bad about the way he had handled the situation earlier in the day. He knew that he should have never put his hands on her. He walked up to the office tower to see if she was inside but she wasn’t there. “She’s up on the roof.” Daryl turned to see Beth standing behind him. She handed him a bowl of deer meat, “she hasn’t eaten.” Daryl nodded and took the bowl from her. He went up to the roof and let his eyes adjust as he noticed a figure sitting alone in the dark. He walked over and sat down next to her. She didn’t turn towards him but instead kept her eyes focused on the walkers at the fence, occasionally taking a sip from her whisky bottle. They didn’t speak for a few minutes but finally she said “I may have an idea on how to secure the fence better. If those things cluster together any more, that fence isn’t going to hold up.” Daryl grunted in agreement, “We’ll talk to Rick about it in the morning.” She turned to him this time but didn’t speak. Daryl handed her the bowl of deer meat. “Beth sent this up.” Frankie smiled slightly and set the bowl down, delicately picking at the meat. Daryl took the bottle from her and took a swig. He took a deep breath “I ain’t gay.” Frankie gave him an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry that I tried to label you. It shouldn’t matter what the reason was. I should’ve just accepted it.” He nodded, “I’m sorry I put my hands on you. I have a bad temper and can be a dick. It shouldn’t have happened.” She stared at him, “It seems I have a bad habit of upsetting you. I guess we upset each other quite often. I don’t know what that means.” He shrugged, “Maybe it means we’re more alike than we care to admit.” She chuckled and nodded. He turned his body towards her, “Hey” She turned to him and her heart skipped a beat at the look in his eyes. He maintained eye contact in order to show her that this was really important, “I would never hit you. I get pissed and I can go too far but it’ll never come to that.” She smiled at him, “I know.” He took another swig from the bottle “and it ain’t because I ain’t attracted to you. Anyone would be. It just ain’t a good idea to get caught up in all that. I mean, look at Rick. He’s raising a baby and a teenager. Who would choose to do that in this world that we’re in now? Don’t make sense to me. You gotta be able to take care of yourself and not worry about anyone or anything holding you down.” Frankie cocked her head, “These people are your family. You’re saying they hold you down? That you wouldn’t sacrifice yourself to save one of them? I refuse to believe that.” Daryl shook his head, “that’s different.” She laughed, “If you say so but love is love, whether it’s a lover or a member of your family. You’ll sacrifice yourself for anyone. I’ve seen how you are with these people. You’re their protector. You’d protect a woman that you loved too but I understand what you’re saying. You don’t want to get close to anyone. It’s safer that way. I get it.” He nudged her with his elbow, “Thanks”. They sat in silence for a while sharing the whisky between them. Frankie could feel the bond between them growing whether he chose to accept it or not.


	13. Chapter 13

The next five months flew by for Frankie. Between making the prison safer from walkers and weapons training for the new people they took in, she became a valued member of the group in no time at all. She and Michonne shared the duty of training people to use knives in an effort to save ammunition for when they really needed it. Daryl and Rick took care of the gun training. Everything seemed to going along as well as it could considering their situation. She and Daryl became practically inseparable. They’d bickered like brother and sister but always had each other’s back. One never went on a run without the other and if they did, there was hell to pay when he or she returned. Rick and the others always shook their head and laughed when they argued because ten minutes later, they’d be best friends again. When Daryl’s brother Merle was killed, Frankie was the only one who could get near him without consequence. She helped pull him back from the brink of madness during that time. She never babied him nor him her. They were always brutally honest with each other when they disagreed but always supported the others decision. Daryl loved that about her. She wasn’t overly emotional like most women he had known. She had a very rational mind and wasn’t afraid to speak it. They respected each other and that meant a lot to him. He respected very few people but those that he did, he held close to his heart, even if he didn’t say so out loud. He wasn’t the only one; the whole group came to respect Frankie and often looked to her for guidance and advice, even Rick. 

The day of the Governor’s fatal attack was one that Frankie would never forget. The loss of Hershel was staggering and would linger with the group for the rest of their days. She got separated from everyone that day. She spotted Daryl and Beth running into the woods and attempted to follow but between fighting her way through walkers and enemies, she lost them. She ran and ran for as long as she could until she her lungs were on fire and she could go no further. She hid inside of a broken down SUV until she regained her strength to continue. Whenever she stopped for a break was when the loss of her home and her friends would hit her. She would heave silent sobs until she tired herself out enough to sleep. She didn’t want to think about what happened to them. She hoped they lost no one else and that everyone was safe. The next couple months on her own would be the hardest that she faced. She got so used to depending on her friends, especially Daryl. She knew that he would be concerned about what had become of her. What would become of her? This would be the longest that she had been out in the dead world on her own. She wasn’t sure if she had what it took to survive but she thought of Daryl out there fighting to stay alive, it gave her the strength to continue. She needed to find her way back to him and the others. She often had this fear that something would happen and they would be separated and always talked about having a plan, a place to meet just in case. Daryl always rolled his eyes and told her that she was being paranoid. They were keeping the prison safe and as long as they did, everything would be fine. When she mentioned it to Rick, he had agreed with Daryl. They were so sure that their home would be indestructible and they could protect their people. Little did anyone know that the Governor would show up with a tank and destroy everything. Now it was all gone. Everything they had worked for, gone in seconds and she was all alone. 

She decided that she would try to track down whoever she could. Everyone scattered in all directions but she was sure that she would find someone, anyone who was part of her group. She hoped they had survived. She spent her days on the road, starting at early dawn and walking until she was completely spent. Daryl had taught her how to hunt and although she couldn’t stand the idea, she needed to survive. She hunted small game, rabbit and squirrel, just enough to keep her going. Finding drinkable water was the hard part. She searched every abandoned car and structure for anything she could use. When she did find water, she cherished it and only took small sips to wet her pallet. She moved constantly and killed more walkers that she could count. It didn’t make her squeamish anymore. It was like second nature now. This was a way of life. She thought back to how life used to be for most people, going to work, grocery shopping for the week, going to the gym or to the bar to meet friends for a drink, walking your dog…they moved through life like zombies and now here she was, killing them in order to survive. It was so surreal how everything changed so suddenly. She took note of any disturbed brush or any place that looked like someone had been squatting there. It may not have been anyone from her group but she didn’t want to take the chance of losing them if it was. She made her way across state lines in hopes of finding anybody alive.


End file.
